Knoxville, Missouri facts for kids
Knoxville is a small village in central Ray County, Missouri. It's part of the larger Kansas City metropolitan area.
This quiet community sits where Missouri Route 13 and Missouri Route HH meet. It's about eleven miles north of Richmond. The border with Caldwell County is five miles to the north.
The Crooked River flows nearby, about two miles to the west. You can also find the Crooked River Conservation Area a bit further southwest. Knoxville has a car dealership, a church, and a water tower. There are no other businesses or services in the village.
History of Knoxville
How Knoxville Got Its Name
Knoxville was founded in the 1830s. A man named John Graves from Tennessee planned the village in 1837. It was first called Buncombe on January 24, 1838.
The name Buncombe came from Buncombe County, North Carolina. Some of the first settlers were from there. But soon, the name changed. Many early settlers were from Tennessee, so they chose the name Knoxville. This was after Knoxville, Tennessee, a city in their home state. A post office opened in Knoxville in 1838 and stayed open until 1904.
The Buncombe's Strip Land Dispute
In 1836, Caldwell County was created just north of Ray County. This new county was meant for the Latter-day Saints, also known as Mormons, to settle.
A six-mile-wide strip of land, running east to west, became a topic of discussion. This area was called Buncombe's Strip, named after the village of Buncombe (now Knoxville). An 1825 law said this land would belong to any future county created north of Ray County.
The Mormons generally agreed not to settle in this specific area. In January 1839, after a period of conflict, the state legislature moved this strip of land into Ray County.
